Liam sent me photos of the freshly paved Anacostia Riverwalk Trail on the east side of the river.
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Today we continue our annual Battle of the NFC East articles, comparing all four NFC East division rivals — the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins — against each other, position by position. I will rank the teams in order of strongest to weakest at each position and will also choose the best player in the division at each particular position. We will start on offense and proceed to defense over the course of this week. Evaluations will be based not only on the strength of starters, but also reserves and may be influenced by current injuries.
We began yesterday with the quarterback position. We continue today with the tight end position.
Discuss this in our Redskins fan forum!
1. Washington Redskins
Starter: Chris Cooley
Reserves: Fred Davis, Lee Vickers, Logan Paulsen
Redskins TE Chris Cooley
Chris Cooley averaged almost 7 TD catches per game his first 4 NFL seasons, but that dropped off dramatically to only 1 in 2008. 2009 was shaping up to be a better season statistically for Cooley [29 catches, 334 yards, 2 TD], but he was injured in the 7th game of the season and missed the rest of the year. Apart from Santana Moss, Cooley has been the only reliable part of the passing offense since he came to Washington and expect new QB Donovan McNabb to lean on him as much as Jason Campbell did. He will never be a dominating drive block tight end, but his blocking has steadily improved and no one the team is as crafty at finding open spots in a defense. Per Scouts, Inc.:
He played in the first seven games of last season before missing the last nine due to a leg injury. He is one of the most productive players in this offense when he is healthy. He is a versatile player who can align all over the field. He is an excellent route-runner. He shows very good push off the line of scrimmage. He understands how to use his body to separate from defenders. He has very good hands and can adjust to make catches outside his frame. He is a very good blocker on the move. He was the total package as a tight end before getting injured last season.
Fred Davis unexpectedly took advantage of Cooley’s injury last year to catch 48 passes for 509 yards [10.6] and 6 TD. Like Cooley he does not have great size, but his athleticism is well above average for an NFL tight end and he seems to have allowed NFL coaches to teach him how to play the position. From Scouts, Inc.:
Davis had a very solid season in his second year in the league racking up 10 starts due to injury to starter Chris Cooley. Davis is somewhat undersized for the tight end position but is an excellent athlete and an effective target in the passing game. He has good quickness and agility as a short and intermediate route runner with reliable hands in traffic. He was good in the red zone showing the ability to uncover and make the touch catch. Davis isn’t a physical blocker but can wall off and gives effort to finish on the edge. With Cooley back from injury the Redskins may utilize more two tight end formations to create mismatches with Davis getting more opportunities in the passing game.
The combination of Cooley and Davis on one team is likely to feature prominently in the Mike/Kyle Shanahan offense. Mike’s offense in Denver put Shannon Sharpe into the Hall of Fame and Kyle’s offense in Houston turned Owen Daniels into a star. Davis is likely to line up in the fullback position frequently and both can easily be split out like a wide receiver. Covering either or both with a linebacker is likely to lead to a lot of nice gains between the hash marks. Davis demonstrated particular effectiveness in the red zone last year and McNabb is know for making good use of the tight end position.
Lee Vickers and Logan Paulsen are competing for the third roster spot. I like Vickers better because of his massive size [6'6", 275 lbs], but he’s caught only two passes in two NFL seasons, being mostly used as a blocker and on special teams. Paulsen has good size, but is a bit smaller than Vickers, and was signed as a rookie free agent out of UCLA in April.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Starter: Jason Witten
Reserves: Martellus Bennett, DajLeon Farr, Jason Pociask, Martin Rucker
Cowboys TE Jason Witten
Jason Witten has been a star tight end since 2004 and has missed a total of one game in his 7 NFL seasons. Witten’s 94 catches for 1030 yards would be a career year for most tight ends, but it was almost a down year for him, particularly since he scored only twice. Witten is a solid, if unspectacular blocker who gets the job done without pancaking anyone that I’ve ever se0en. He has terrific hands, is a first-rate route-runner, is amazing durable and knows how to use his excellent size to get open and shield passes from defenders. Dallas wideouts come and go but for years Witten has been the best and most consistent part of the Cowboys offense, a receiver Romo always counts on to get open and make plays. From Scouts, Inc.:
Witten continues to be one of the most dynamic tight ends in the NFL. He has been durable throughout his career and has been the Cowboys’ most reliable target in the passing game. He’s effective as both a run and pass blocker. Witten is an excellent technician as a run blocker with good pad level, foot quickness and hand use. He isn’t powerful at the point of attack but shows good functional strength to set the edge. He is a crafty veteran who understands angles to seal defenders on combination blocks. He is an excellent route runner with quickness, balance and instincts to get separation out of his breaks. He has great hands and can make plays in traffic.
I thought Martellus Bennett was ready to become one of the better tight ends in the NFL last year, but it didn’t happen. For one, the Cowboys haven’t used him properly or often enough. He will never be the player Witten is but he has the ability to be a starting-caliber tight end in the NFL, giving the Cowboys yet another weapon in an offense that is already an embarrassment of riches. From Scouts, Inc.:
Bennett has been utilized as a backup tight end in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He is an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism. He is still raw with both blocking and receiving techniques but appeared to make marked improvements during his two seasons in the league. Bennett doesn’t have great speed but runs well for his size. His size and big hands enable him to make tough receptions. Look for Bennett to see more playing time in 2010.
The third tight end, John Phillips, would have given the Cowboys the best 3rd-string tight end in the NFL perhaps but he’s out for the season with an injury, leaving only a collection of undistinguished youngsters left on the roster. Basically, this position is Witten and Bennett for the 2010 season. That’s pretty darn good, more than just about anyone, apart from the Redskins.
The major question mark at tight end for the Cowboys is that I expect the offensive line to struggle with performance and injuries all season and when that happens, tight ends are often kept near the line of scrimmage to compensate. The Cowboys offense probably cannot afford to do that, as Witten is such a critical part of their production.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles TE Brent Celek
Starter: Brent Celek
Reserves: Clay Harbor, Cornelius Ingram, Nate Lawrie
Redskins fans who want to know what Donovan McNabb can do for a young player at this position could ask Brent Celek, who went from a mostly-obscure 5th round pick in 2007 into one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL in 2009, catching 76 passes for 971 yards [12.8] and 8 TD. It was a huge jump for Celek, who caught only 43 passes in the two previous seasons. From Scouts, Inc.:
Celek had a breakout season in 2009. He was second on the team in receptions and touchdowns as a formidable target in the passing game. Celek is an undersized tight end with deceptive quickness, speed and strength. He has improved as a route runner, and has good body control and quickness in and out of his breaks. He understands how to get separation on short and intermediate routes and has flashed good run-after-catch ability to pick up chunks of yards. He lacks power at the point of attack as a run-blocker but manages to effectively wall off defenders. Celek should continue to be a big part of the Eagles’ passing game in 2010.
Expect young QB Kevin Kolb to rely a lot on Celek, who has shown he can be relied upon. As the Eagles are likely to go with a shorter passing attack in 2010, a 90-catch season for Celek is not out of the question.
The Eagles liked Clay Harbor enough to draft him in the 4th round this year so they clearly hope he will part of their offense in the near future. He’s a solid route-runner with pretty good hands and quickness, but his size [under 6'3"] is a problem. He’s not likely to go overpower anyone and he was not a good blocking college tight end so don’t look for him to push around any NFL linebackers soon. Cornelius Ingram isn’t as small as Harbor, but he’s no giant either and not considered a top blocker. He did win a national championship at the University of Florida, where he also played basketball. He’s a nice athlete, but injury-prone, having blown out the same ACL twice, one in college and once in training camp last year. He’s already had a cyst in the back of his knee drained this month and has suffered considerable pain and discomfort so it would seem Ingram is not a safe bet to stay healthy. That probably explains why the Eagles drafted Harbor this year. Nate Lawrie is a Yale graduate who has been a marginal NFL player, now in his fifth pro season. He has 4 catches in 4 years in the NFL.
4. New York Giants
Starter: Kevin Boss
Giants TE Kevin Boss
Reserves: Travis Beckum Scott Chandler, Bear Pascoe
Kevin Boss does not get quite as much attention from his offense as the other NFC East starters at his position do, but that’s partly because the Giants have developed some wide receivers. He caught 42 passes for 567 yards [13.5] and 5 TD. Boss is a real threat in the red zone, both as a blocker and receiver. From Scouts, Inc.:
Boss has an excellent combination of size, speed and strength. He is effective as a receiver and a blocker. He shows good overall quickness and can build to speed well for his size. He can stretch the middle of the field and put pressure on the free safety. He is a solid route runner who opens up the field for the Giants’ receivers. He shows a good swim move to avoid contact coming off the line of scrimmage. Boss was used more as a blocker last season because the Giants had some offensive line issues and was effective sliding and moving his feet in pass protection. He is only average with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can break arm tackles but will not make a defender miss in space. He has soft hands and shows excellent concentration to catch in traffic. He is a solid run blocker at the point of attack.
Boss has struggled with an injured ankle in training camp, but appears to be getting healthy as the regular season approaches. Travis Beckum is a 2nd year pro from Wisconsin who is small for the position, but is a decent blocker in space. His size prevents him from being a top blocker, though he does better in running situations than you might think. He could be a very nice player in a few years. Scott Chandler is gigantic, but doesn’t block well for his size and isn’t much of a receiving threat. He’s not even a very good special teams player so I’m not sure why the Giants would want him around. Bear Pascoe caught one pass for 9 yards last season but took advantage of injuries at his position to impress the coaching staff this preseason.
THE BEST
Best starting TE in the NFC East: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
Best reserve TE in the NFC East: Fred Davis, Washington Redskins
Best at tight end in the NFC East: Washington Redskins
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Back in December I wrote about this incident wherein a cyclist reported being intentionally hit by a driver who immediately left the scene. Though they had the plate and description of the driver, they were concerned the case wasn't getting enough attention, and was being treated as a hit and run. WABA got involved and the MPD upgraded it to a felony assault.
Since then, members of the 5th District police conducted an investigation, located the driver – Shernetta Hagans, and made an arrest. Meanwhile, the charges were reduced from 'Assault' to 'Leaving the scene -
injury', to 'Leaving the scene – damage'.
She was inadvertently released after her arrest without being arraigned, and three subsequent summons mailed to her address were returned as 'Undeliverable.' According to her Facebook page, she is now at West Virginia State University. Ostensibly because of difficulty locating her, her case has been dismissed.
I'm not sure about the process in cases like this. Was she required to let the authorities know about a change of address? Can they issue a bench warrant for her? Will she be arrested again if she shows up in the system elsewhere? It would be a travesty if she were able to avoid facing these charges simply by moving elsewhere.
Kudos to the MPD for treating this seriously and arresting the driver, but there needs to be a reasonable follow-through to make sure she doesn't just walk away.
Think again. According to various reports, including this one from Dan Hellie, WR Malcolm Kelly repulled his hamstring today, his first day from practice. Does this likely take him out of the game on Thursday? If I am a betting man, I would say yes.
Again, two things. How can Malcolm Kelly possibly make the team, practicing every 15th day and not playing in one single pre-season game? Finally, it’s time. It really is time for the Kelly injury issues to end. Vinny Cerrato made a bad choice selecting the oft-injured Malcolm Kelly, it is time to admit that mistake, correct that mistake, and move on. There are wide receivers who have played their guts out this summer that deserve the opportunity over Kelly. At they very least, the Redskins should consider putting Kelly on the IR, if they want to give him that shot next year.
There is no definitive word yet on whether Kelly would miss Thursday, but the way it looks, doesn’t look all too well.
Additionally, RB Clinton Portis will not play Thursday.
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Redskins beat reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch Rich Campbell twittered thusly:
I’m hearing that TE/FB Dennis Morris was traded to STL today. Not sure what the compensation is.
I suspected Morris was not going to make the team anyway so this trade gives the Redskins something, probably something very little, where they probably would have had nothing. At tight end, Morris was in a virtually helpless battle with Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, Lee Vickers and Logan Paulsen. At fullback, the Redskins have Mike Sellers and Darrel Young, though in training camp I have also seen Davis line up in the fullback in a 2-TE offense.
UPDATE: Beat reporter John Keim lends credence to this story. Beat reporter Grant Paulsen confirms it.
DISCUSS THIS IN OUR REDSKINS FAN FORUM!
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Today we begin our annual Battle of the NFC East articles, comparing all four NFC East division rivals — the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins — against each other, position by position. I will rank the teams in order of strongest to weakest at each position and will also choose the best player in the division at each particular position. We will start on offense and proceed to defense over the course of this week. Evaluations will be based not only on the strength of starters, but also reserves and may be influenced by current injuries.
We begin today with the quarterback position.
Discuss this in our Redskins fan forum!
1. Dallas Cowboys
Starter: Tony Romo
Reserves: Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee
There can be no doubt the Cowboys are stronger at the game’s most important position than any of their division rivals. Though starter Tony Romo can boast only one playoff victory, he’s been a star in the regular season and can be counted on to guide his team to the playoffs at the helm of one of the NFL’s most high-scoring offenses. Romo isn’t a kid, he’s started 55 games for the Cowboys and amassed an impressive 38-17 record in those contests, making him one of the winning-est quarterbacks in the NFL over the past few years. He finished 8th in the NFL last year in passer rating at 97.6 and sported a superb 26-9 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio.
Here is what Scouts, Inc. writes about Romo:
Romo had his best statistical season in 2009. Despite his average size, Romo has been durable over his time as a starter since 2006. He is a smart, instinctive signal-caller who might be one of the best improvisers at his position. Romo is a solid athlete who can slide or scramble out of the pocket to find passing windows. He is a bit of a gunslinger, which is a big reason for his success, and has learned how to take care of the ball better in critical situation. Romo is now a seasoned veteran who has enough weapons around him to vie for the NFC title in 2010.
Romo will probably need all of his mobility and improvisational skills this season as he will be playing behind an old, over-paid, over-hyped and consistently injured offensive line. Nevertheless, he’s surrounded by talent at the skill positions and has demonstrated the ability to get the ball in the hands of those players.
Romo’s backup Jon Kitna is an experienced NFL player who will turn 38 next month. He spent 7 seasons as a starter with the Seahawks, Bengals and Lions and should be able to fill in adequately should Romo suffer an injury of any kind. There is a dropoff from Romo to Kitna, particularly in mobility, but he’s easily the best backup quarterback in the NFL. From Scouts, Inc.:
Kitna was acquired in 2009 but didn’t get on the field last season. Kitna is a tough, intelligent and instinctive signal-caller with an above-average arm and sometimes good accuracy. He reads coverages well and can check off and adjust effectively against complex defensive schemes. He has solid mechanics with his weight transfer and release when he’s clean in the pocket, but he can’t create when plays break down. Kitna will be Dallas’ No. 2 QB in 2009 and should be effective in limited action.
Third-stringer Stephen McGee is a 2nd year pro drafted in the 4th round by the Cowboys in 2009. He’s unlikely to see much action for years to come, if ever.
2. New York Giants
Starter: Eli Manning
Reserves: Jim Sorgi, Rhett Bomar, Dominic Randolph
Eli Manning will never be the quarterback his older brother Peyton has become, but he’s still one of the better passers in the NFL. In 2009 Manning set career highs for passer rating [93.1], TD passes [27], completion percentage [62.3], completions [317] and, perhaps most impressively of all, his yards per pass soared to 7.9, a full yard higher than his previous best. Manning has usually played behind a healthy and powerful offensive line, which has helped him develop and look good. The line finally showed some cracks last year, but Manning thrived, easing concerns that he won’t be able to lead a flawed offense successfully. Though he was hardly the main reason the Giants won a Super Bowl after the 2007 season, he is still the only quarterback in this division to have started and won a Super Bowl. From Scouts, Inc.:
He has prototypical height and size for the position. He has great physical tools and is naturally gifted for the position. He has become a much better decision-maker over his career. Overall he has good mechanics but still occasionally throws off his back foot under pressure. He was hit more often this past season, which affected his mechanics at times. When he has time, he is excellent at stepping up into the pocket. He can put the ball on a rope to all three levels. He throws a very catchable deep ball. He is excellent at getting the ball out quickly to allow his receivers a chance to make a play with the ball in their hands. He is an average athlete. He is much better in the pocket than rolling or having to throw the ball on the move. He has really matured over his NFL career and has become more of a vocal leader. Though not elite, he is a top 10 NFL quarterback
An injured shoulder has sidelined Jim Sorgi, an experienced reserve who is accusstomed to playing second fiddle to a Manning — he backed up Peyton for years. With a badly injured right shoulder it isn’t even clear if Sorgi will be healthy enough to make the final roster for the Giants.
Rhett Bomar, a second-year developmental project with decent size may be forced into the first backup job, something he may not be ready for. Bomar has never taken a snap in a real NFL game so it is difficult to have confidence in him if Manning should miss time with injury.
Dominic Randolph signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in April of this year. He was cut two weeks later and re-signed in August after Jim Sorgi was injured. Though it is early, he appears to be a marginal NFL player.
3. Washington Redskins
Redskins QB Donovan McNabb
The Redskins exchanged QB Jason Campbell for a bag of footballs earlier this year after acquiring Donovan McNabb from the Eagles in a rare intra-divisional trade. McNabb instantly became not only the starting quarterback, but also the leader of a team with virtually no record of success in recent years. Proving he’s anything but done, McNabb had his best season statistically last year since 2006, sporting a passer rating of 92.9 and completing over 60 percent of his passes. His 8.0 yards per attempt tops even Eli Manning and is not far behind Romo in that category. His 22-to-10 TD passes-to-interceptions ratio should come as no surprise, since McNabb has been less likely to throw an interception than any quarterback in NFL history. He’s more of a threat to scramble than run these days, but he did score two touchdowns with his feet last year, one of which resulted in an injury that kept him out two games. This preseason McNabb has shown he can still make big plays and throws on the run, though a recent ankle injury will probably having him think throw-first from now on. McNabb is not the most accurate passer in the NFL and he will go through stretches where he struggles to hit his targets, as he did against Dallas twice last season. Nevertheless, he still has monster games [he almost personally dismantled the NY Giants defense twice last year] and is much more likely to be good than bad. From Scouts, Inc.:
Though we would no longer put him in the outstanding area, he is still a solid starting QB. He can still make all of the throws that any offensive system would ask of him. He is still an above-average athlete who can occasionally beat you with his feet. He is an excellent leader. Players around him believe in him and his ability to make big plays down the stretch that will change the outcome of the game. He is getting a little older but still makes a lot of plays
After McNabb, things get pretty dicey for the Redskins, though their backup situation is somewhat better than New York’s. First backup Rex Grossman is an experienced NFL veteran who started in a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, that’s about the extent of Grossman’s NFL success and that 2006 Bears team made the Super Bowl mostly because of their fine defense. He’s got a pretty good arm, though not as good as he thinks it is, and is very familiar with the offensive system, having played in it for Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Houston last season. However, Grossman is a poor decision-maker who throws off his back foot far too often, challenges double coverage when he should not and has already fumbled 4 times in the preseason. He’s a turnover machine. From Scouts, Inc.:
Grossman has been a backup quarterback for pretty much all of his seven years in the NFL since being drafted in the first round of the 2003 drafty by the Chicago Bears. He is an undersized quarterback with a strong arm but has a tendency to take too many chances when throwing the ball. He understands the game and can read coverages but needs to stay in the pocket to be most successful and lacks the speed and quickness to be much of a scrambler or to extend the pocket. He has a quick release once he decides to pull the trigger but does not have a great feel for the rush and tends to take too many sacks.
There isn’t much behind Grossman. Richard Bartel and John Beck, two youngsters, are battling it out for the final quarterback spot and they both may lose. There has been some speculation that the Redskins may carry only two quarterbacks because both Bartel and Beck have been so ordinary. Beck is still learning the system, though, having come over in a trade soon after the start of training camp, and may have more of an upside than Bartel. In any case, the Redskins are in trouble if Donovan McNabb misses time to injury this season, as he did in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Though McNabb is allegedly nursing an ankle injury right now, rumors that he will miss the season opener against Dallas appear to be utterly false and based on a complete misreading of what Head Coach Mike Shanahan said late last week.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles QB Kevin Kolb
The Eagles are so confident in new starter Kevin Kolb that they traded Donovan McNabb, easily the most accomplished quarterback in franchise history, to a division rival. Is that confidence justified? We don’t know yet, but the history of Head Coach Andy Reid is that he’s a pretty formidable judge of talent. In the first major action of his NFL career, Kolb completed almost 65% of his passes, threw 4 TD, 3 INT, averaged 7.7 yards per pass and amassed a passer rating of 88.9. Though more prone to turnovers than McNabb, Kolb proved superb at completing short and intermediate passes and allowing his receivers to run after the catch. On the other hand, virtually everything Kolb did last season he did against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. The Saints had the NFL’s 26th-ranked pass defense in 2009 and the Chiefs had the 22nd-ranked pass defense, so we have yet to see Kolb play well against a good defense. Going with Kolb is a high-stakes gamble by the Eagles, but the decision-making record in Philly management is one of the better in the NFL. Kolb may turn out to be very, very good, but we cannot rank him ahead of the other NFC East starters because his record of accomplishment is so much thinner. From Scouts, Inc.:
With the departure of veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, Kolb will have the stage all to himself in Philadelphia. Kolb has good size and arm strength with enough athleticism to make plays out of the pocket. He isn’t a huge run threat but can avoid and slide to deliver effectively on the move. Kolb can make all the throws but can’t power the ball into tight windows. He is best on short and intermediate throws and needs playing time to improve his timing and accuracy. Kolb has the tools to develop and has enough playmakers around him to make a statement in 2010.
Michael Vick continues to try to revive his NFL career while simultaneously applying for re-admission to the realm of decent company. Vick completed 6 of 13 passes for 86 yards and 1 TD last season, adding another TD pass in a lopsided loss to the Cowboys in the playoffs. His 6.6 yards per completion was about in line with his career, but far below what McNabb and Kolb did in the same offense. Vick was more of a runner anyway, rushing 24 times for 95 yards and 2 TD. His four yards per carry average was by far the lowest of his NFL career, as he had difficulty showing the same burst and speed he had with the Falcons from 2001-2006. From Scouts, Inc.:
Vick saw limited playing time in his first season back after being away from football for more than two years. He had only 13 attempts in 2009 and clearly needed to knock some rust off his passing game. Vick did show his strong arm and speed carrying the football, but has also shown diminishing skills in those areas. His legs are his best weapons, but we don’t know how much improvement he’ll make in his second season back. Vick has always been a somewhat erratic passer, but at one time was able to make plays at the position that no other athlete has been able to make. Vick probably will be integrated more into the offense in 2010, but he is still a work in progress.
The Eagles picked Mike Kafka, who put up some big numbers in a passing offense at Northwestern, in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was very interception-prone in college, a bad habit the turnover-conscious Andy Reid will not tolerate. He’s nowhere near ready to play in the NFL so if Kolb gets injured, the Eagles could be in a lot of trouble. It’s Kolb or bust for Philadelphia in 2010.
Best NFC East starting QB: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Best NFC East backup QB: Jon Kitna, Dallas Cowboys
Best NFC East team at QB: Dallas Cowboys
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You think you had a good weekend? It probably doesn’t compare to what Mike Morse did. Friday through Sunday he started 3 games, had 12 ABs, with 8 hits, including 3 doubles, a triple and a home run. It brought his season numbers up to .294/.335/.535, and as Ben Goessling pointed out, it put him [...]
The Redskins play early this week, Thursday night, as they wrap up the pre-season, and begin preparation for the season opener, against the hated Dallas Cowboys. Don’t expect starters to play much, if at all. This will be the perfect time for Mike Shanahan and staff to evaluate for final roster cut downs.
Rex Grossman said he will not play this coming Thursday, you can track this kind of news in our Arizona pre-season thread, that means you will get a heavy dose of John Beck and Richard Bartel.
John Keim thinks Beck will have the nod, if Shanahan takes three QBs to the 53 man roster. Read it.
Larry Johnson talks abotu his pre-season dunk. Read it.
QB Donovan McNabb is definetly out Thursday, Clinton Portis is uncertain. Portis sprained an ankle in Saturday’s game against the Jets. Read it.
Rich Campbell gives out game balls and some post-Jets analysis. Read it.
Eric Edholm from Pro Football Weekly focuses in the front three for the Redskins defense. Read it.
Rich Tandler provides a Point/Counter Point on whether the Redskins can be considered a playoff caliber team. Read it.
Ryan O’Halloran tells us what we learned from the Redskins starters. Read it.
Brandon Banks may only be 5’7”, but he is fast. Read it. Now we just have to determine if the punt return fumbled killed his chances.
Blogging Redskins . . .
Some more post game thoughts and analysis from Brooding Burgundy. Read it.
Staying Medium is taking a new shot at the 53 man roster. Read it.
Homer takes a look at the Jets playlist. Read it.
Hogs haven will provide you with some more Redskins news links. Read it.
Finally . . . the Forum Hot Topics (Top 5 new topics)
McNabb may not be ready for Dallas
Redskins Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down
You all are making the Forums a bigger success than we imagined this early. Viewership has been crazy. For you readers and viewers out there, take the next step, JOIN THE FORUM.
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This dovetails with the bleg I had last week about how to move along the Mall when it's crowded with pedestrians. The graphic and text is from Just161 on the BikeArlington listserve (and I hope they don't mind my using it, but it's really good). They ask
14th Street Bridge seems the best connection from the Mt. Vernon Trail
and the rest of the great trails in Arlington, TO the eastern side of DC
– Union Station, Gallery Place, the ball park, Capitol Hill, etc. it's
better than beating through pedestrians around on the Mall to get to
the Memorial Bridge. But this connection has major problems,
particularly in the direction from Arlington to DC, from where you come
down off the 14th St. bridge, to where you can pick up better bike
routes on the Mall or in the neighborhoods in SW (Water St., e.g.).Bikes using the 14th St. Bridge are funneled down one little stretch (in
orange above) where there are tons of pedestrians, and we're boxed in
by highways on one side and the Tidal Basin on the other. Southbound
you can ride in the road, but the cars move much faster than bikes on
East Basin Drive, and northbound your have no choice but to either a)
ride on the sidewalks or b) take a huge long-cut through Hains Point.
Roads in this area are very inhospitable to bikes, and there's not many
good alternatives.I'm guessing this is a major movement bikers want to make in this city, judging from my own (admittedly anecdotal) experience.
This problem could be addressed with a few targeted improvements —
either by expanding east-west bike mobility on the Mall west of 14th
street (Jefferson and Madison, and now PA Ave do this well but only east
of 14th), or by improving bike access around the Jefferson and through
the messy intersection at the yellow star below.What do you think??
I personally think we'd be best off if we had some dedicated bikeways. One on the Mall from Memorial Bridge to Madison/Jefferson, and one from the George Mason Bridge to Maine Avenue. Neither of these are 100% necessary, you can get by without them, but they would be nice. The problem is that it probably involves NPS approval to make them work.
Syracuse Chiefs (AAA) won 3-2. Matt Chico pitched 6 innings, allowed 5 hits and 2 runs. Atahaulpha Severino (5-3) picked up the win in relief, throwing two scoreless innings. Adam Carr picked up his 6th AAA save, throwing a scoreless ninth. Boomer Whiting tripled and scored a run. Mike Martinez continues to hit well, going 1-2 with a double, and an RBI. He has raised his batting average to .280. Since initially struggling at the plate upon his AAA promotion, Martinez has hit .371 over his last 10 games.
Harrisburg Senators (AA) won 6-5. Although ace Tom Milone did not earn the win, he pitched another quality start, throwing 6.2 innings and scattering 6 hits and 2 runs. Overall, Milone is 11-5 with a 2.95 ERA. Cole Kimball continues pitching very well and turning Nationals eyes his way, earning the win out of the bullpen to improve to 4-1 at AA. Overall, between A and AA this season, Kimball, a converted reliever, is 7-1 with 16 saves and an ERA of 2.03. Steve Lombardozzi was 2-4 with second AA home run. Marvin Lowrance hit his 13th home run. Jesus Valdez went 2 for 4.
Potomac Nationals (A) lost 7-6. Trevor Holder got battered for 8 hits and 5 runs over 4 innings. Joe Testa (1-1) gave up a run over 1 innings and took the loss. Derek Norris went 3 for 4 with a double, a run, and an RBI. Norris is hitting .234 and batting .324 over his last 10 games. Sean Nichol and Daniel Lyons each had two hits.
Hagerstown Suns (A) did not play.
Vermont Lake Monsters lost 7-2. Taylor Jordan pitched well, going 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs. Christian Meza (0-1), called up after posting a 1.59 ERA at GCL, allowed 4 runs without recording an out.
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